This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the federal government should ensure that (1) every person facing the end of their life has access to quality, comprehensive medical care and (2) policies or practices supporting assisted suicide are not adopted.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 79 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 79
Expressing the sense of the Congress that assisted suicide (sometimes
referred to using other terms) puts everyone, including those most
vulnerable, at risk of deadly harm.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 12, 2019
Mr. Correa (for himself, Mr. Wenstrup, Mr. Peterson, Mr. Smith of New
Jersey, Mr. Langevin, Mrs. Wagner, Mr. Lipinski, Mr. LaHood, Mr.
Cartwright, Mr. Harris, and Mr. Abraham) submitted the following
concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy
and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of the Congress that assisted suicide (sometimes
referred to using other terms) puts everyone, including those most
vulnerable, at risk of deadly harm.
Whereas ``suicide'' means the act of intentionally ending one's own life,
preempting death from disease, accident, injury, age, or other
condition;
Whereas ``assisting in a suicide'', sometimes referred to as death with dignity,
end-of-life options, aid-in-dying, or similar phrases, means knowingly
and willingly prescribing, providing, dispensing, or distributing to an
individual a substance, device, or other means that, if taken, used,
ingested, or administered as directed, expected, or instructed, will,
with reasonable medical certainty, result in the death of the
individual, preempting death from disease, accident, injury, age, or
other condition;
Whereas society has a longstanding policy of supporting suicide prevention such
as through the efforts of many public and private suicide prevention
programs, the benefits of which could be denied under a public policy of
assisted suicide;
Whereas assisted suicide most directly threatens the lives of people who are
elderly, experience depression, have a disability, or are subject to
emotional or financial pressure to end their lives;
Whereas the Oregon Health Authority's annual reports reveal that pain or the
fear of pain is listed second to last (25 percent) among the reasons
cited by all patients seeking lethal drugs since 1998, while the top 5
reasons cited are psychological and social concerns: ``losing autonomy''
(92 percent), ``less able to engage in activities that make life
enjoyable'' (90 percent), ``loss of dignity'' (79 percent), ``losing
control of bodily functions'' (48 percent), and ``burden on family
friends/caregivers'' (41 percent);
Whereas the Supreme Court has ruled twice (in Washington v. Glucksberg and Vacco
v. Quill) that there is no constitutional right to assisted suicide,
that the Government has a legitimate interest in prohibiting assisted
suicide, and that such prohibitions rationally relate to ``protecting
the vulnerable from coercion'' and ``protecting disabled and terminally
ill people from prejudice, negative and inaccurate stereotypes, and
`societal indifference''';
Whereas clearly expressing that assisted suicide is not a legitimate health care
service, Congress passed, with a nearly unanimous vote, and President
Bill Clinton signed, the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act to
prevent the use of Federal funds for any item or service, including
advocacy, provided for the purpose of causing, or assisting in causing,
the death of any individual such as by assisted suicide, euthanasia, or
mercy killing;
Whereas a handful of States have authorized assisted suicide, but over 30 States
have rejected over 200 attempts at legalization since 1994;
Whereas States that authorize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients do
not require that such patients receive psychological screening or
treatment, though studies show that the overwhelming majority of
patients contemplating suicide experience depression;
Whereas the laws of such States contain no requirement for a medical attendant
to be present at the time the lethal dose is taken, used, ingested, or
administered to intervene in the event of medical complications;
Whereas such State laws contain no requirement that a qualified monitor be
present to assure that the patient is knowingly and voluntarily taking,
using, ingesting, or administering the lethal dose;
Whereas such State laws contain no requirement to secure lethal medication if
unwanted or if death occurs before such medication is used;
Whereas such State laws do not prevent family members, heirs, or health care
providers from pressuring patients to request assisted suicide;
Whereas such States qualify some patients for assisted suicide by using a broad
definition of ``terminal disease'' and ``going to die in six months or
less'' that includes diseases (such as diabetes or HIV) that, if
appropriately treated, would not otherwise result in death within six
months;
Whereas it is extremely difficult even for the most experienced doctors to
accurately prognosticate a six-month life expectancy as required, making
such a prognosis a prediction, not a certainty;
Whereas reporting requirements vary by State, but when required, rely on
prescribing physicians or dispensing pharmacists to self-report;
Whereas such reporting is neither conducted by an objective third party nor of
sufficient depth and accuracy to effectively monitor the occurrence of
assisted suicide;
Whereas there is an astounding lack of transparency in the practice of assisted
suicide to the extent that State health departments and other
authorities admittedly have no method of knowing if it is being
practiced within the bounds of State laws and have no funding or
authority to make such a determination;
Whereas some State laws actively conceal assisted suicide by directing the
physician to list the cause of death as the underlying condition without
reference to death by suicide;
Whereas the confidential nature of end-of-life decisions makes it virtually
impossible to effectively monitor a physician's behavior to prevent
abuses, making any number of safeguards insufficient;
Whereas the cost of lethal medication is far less costly than many life-saving
treatments, which threatens to restrict treatment options, especially
for disadvantaged and vulnerable persons, as has happened in several
known cases and presumably many more unknown in which insurers have
denied or delayed coverage for life-saving care while offering to cover
assisted suicide;
Whereas access to personal assistance services such as in-home hospice and
palliative care, home health care aides, and nursing care/nursing
assistance is regretfully limited and subject to long waiting lists in
many areas, placing systemic pressure on patients in need of such
personal assistance services to resort to assisted suicide; and
Whereas for all these reasons, assisted suicide undermines the integrity of the
health care system: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),
That it is the sense of Congress that the Federal Government should
ensure that every person facing the end of their life has access to the
best quality and comprehensive medical care, including palliative, in-
home, or hospice care, tailored to their needs and that the Federal
Government should not adopt or endorse policies or practices that
support, encourage, or facilitate suicide or assisted suicide, whether
by physicians or others.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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